Calvin loved being a father. Even though it terrified him he absolutely loved it. When Teresa had first told him that she was pregnant with their son it had been frightening but exhilarating and he had gotten down on one knee in that moment and proposed. Teresa had rejected the proposal. He would learn later that it was because she hadn’t wanted to be one of those college girls that got married out of obligation. It had driven him to take his second seven month tour in Iraq. He had gotten back just in time to hold his son even though Teresa hadn’t wanted him there for the delivery. In the moment that he held his child he knew that his life would never be the same. He imagined teaching him to throw a ball and ride bike. He wanted to be there for all of it but he knew that Teresa didn’t want to get back together so he had taken some time off for a few months, at least so he could see Parker on the weekends. They had always been supervised and Calvin wondered if Teresa though he would do something to put their son in danger. Sure the tours abroad, especially the lives he’d taken, had changed him. He rarely talked about it; it was his cross to bear. How could you tell a mother that you taken another mother’s child away from her? Not because it had been his job but because the child had been carrying a backpack with a bomb inside and Calvin had shot him, right between the eyes, before the kid could detonate the explosive under the truck of one of their units.

It was a lonely life Calvin had led. If someone had ever asked him what one word he would use to describe his life it would definitely be lonely. Even when Teresa had been around there was also that sense that there was a part of him that he could never share with her because she had never been there, she had never felt ever muscle in her body tense, her breath catch, her heart stop beating just for the instant before she pulled the trigger and ended the life of someone who was loved and wanted by those who them. It was a harsh reality to face and one that Calvin had always faced alone. Yet having Cara here was nice. Even if she also would never understand the intense loneliness that came with believing yourself to being a murder. He knew, logically that he had been doing his job but the word still haunted him. The words a woman had screamed at him as he had laid in the brush and the woman had looked around frantically for the man that had shot her lover. She had yelled into the darkness, unbeknownst to her Calvin had been on a ridge, close enough that had she walked thirty feet to the west she would walked right into the barrel of his rifle. Her cries and her words still haunted him whenever he had a moment to himself, in his dreams they coalesced with memories of other lives he had taken it was Calvin’s own form of hell.

Yet having Cara and his children there made him feel like there was salvation for him yet from the dark abyss of his own guilt. Especially seeing the way Olivia and Parker doted on the dog that helped Cara get around and function in her everyday life. His daughter’s cries of innocent pleasure and delight brought a smile to his own face as he ate his breakfast and sipped his coffee. He chatted with Cara about the night they’d had. It was clear that Cara was in desperate need of sleep and Calvin just needed to sleep without Parker turning him into a kicking boxing bag. The boy seemed to run a marathon in his sleep at times and it was all Calvin could do to push him over and shove a pillow between them for his own protection. Olivia was a much calmer sleeper, with her thumb in her mouth and her little light brown, almost blonde curls framing her face. She was beautiful, just like her mother. He told Cara that he slept fine. Which was basically true. Some nights he had nightmares, other nights he didn’t; it was always just hit and miss. As they continued to converse an idea struck him. Cara was unemployed and apparently living alone. She talked a man by the name of Charles but he really didn’t seem to be in the picture. Poor girl, she deserved consistency and that’s what Calvin wanted to give her. They both needed family and maybe they could be that for each other.

Yet it was clear that the suggestion didn’t go over well, or at least, it made it her nervous. She waited for Calvin to suggest that he see Skyla again and he could see how much that frightened her. He could see the gears turning in her head as she stared straight ahead, obviously seeing nothing but lost in the thought regardless. "Calvin I..." she began, clearly she was shaken by the request and Calvin almost felt bad. He hadn’t meant to stress her out but such a suggestion, if anything he thought that not being alone would be nice for her; that she would appreciate him wanting to have her close so he could help her. "I don't know if I'm ready to have my kids live with me again...That isn't to say that I'm stopping you from seeing her it's just....I'm not really myself. I....I have nightmares, sometimes I sleepwalk and scream plus...I'm supposed to be living with Charles." She said, mentioning the man that Calvin had never met but Cara insisted existed. He didn’t think she would make something like that up but it bothered the cop that she was engaged to someone he never met, almost like a fatherly instinct though the girl had children of her own. "That isn't to say that I wouldn't LOVE to be around Parker and Olivia more, they are like family to me, as are you. I just....I want you to know what you're getting yourself into. I can hardly handle myself at the moment, let alone anyone else" She said, seeming to come around to the idea even as she spoke. "Are you sure, sure that you want me?"

She asked and Calvin smiled softly. It was such a sad question; as if it implied her worth to him. Calvin would do anything for the people he loved and that included the girl who sat across the table from him. After helping her and her now deceased husband, then helping her with her daughter and becoming Skyla’s godfather it had forged a bond that was arguably stronger than the god give family you were born into. He topped off his coffee as he contemplated how he wanted to respond to her sad but honest questions, finally; taking a sip to make sure it was strong enough he smiled and took her hand which seemed to make her tense for a moment before she realized that it was mean to be a gesture of comfort. “Cara… of course we want you…” he said as Olivia tottered over to them, Cody following faithfully behind her. ”Puppy daddy! she exclaimed softly as she managed to make her over to Cara’s side of the table and sat at her feet, gazing up at the girl that couldn’t see her but Calvin was certain she knew she was there. “Parker loves you and you already won Olivia over with Cody…” he said letting her hand go as got up to take his dirty plate to the sink. “Plus we have good neighbors… Parker knows that if any thing happens he could run across the hall… someone’s always there…” he explained as he dumped the rest of the coffeepot, figuring that all who wanted it had gotten a cup. “I am also happy to go get any necessities with you if you like… you can stay here until Charles comes back… perhaps it will be nice not be so lonely…” he speculated, more for himself than the girl who he cared about and wanted to help with all of his heart.

It was a rather sad question that she put forth in answer to Calvin's idea, a little inside note as to how she was feeling about her self-worth and even her state of mind.

'Are you sure that you want me?'

The question loomed in the air, had for some time now, though the question had been posed to a very different person and for a very different reason.

Her mind was no longer her own, the nightmares that pulled her under and not just in sleep the fact that she could bearly handle looking after herself let alone her kids made her question just what was it that ran through Calvin's mind?

She HAD to question his choice, had to question if he was sure....had to think about Parker and his sister who she just happened to feel brush up against her leg a few moments later.

"Of course we want you…"

Even when she jumped, even when she screamed?

“Parker loves you and you already won Olivia over with Cody…”

A small smile passed over her lips, Cody would be a far better babysitter then she would be right now.

“Plus we have good neighbors… Parker knows that if any thing happens he could run across the hall… someone’s always there…I am also happy to go get any necessities with you if you like… you can stay here until Charles comes back… perhaps it will be nice not be so lonely…”

"Lonely?"

Her hand reached upto her neck, the locket, her parents and to the ring she had once again started to wear around her neck, Mark.

"It would be nice, not to be alone." she whispered before pulling in breath letting the gears click once more. "I'll only agree IF it's on a trail run, at least for now. Y..you may just change your mind, realize what a mistake you're making. Calvin, I'd try to be there for you and the kids either way I just...."

She stopped feeling a small hand taking her own, coursing a tear to roll down her face.

"Thankyou Calvin. Y...you shouldn't be worrying about me, You SHOULD be worrying about seeing Skyla again she won't let you off the hook that easily for leaving."

Calvin was happy having Cara there and he was happy at the idea of having her around more often. Plus Calvin’s kids enjoyed Cara very much, especially Parker who had a hard time making friends. Calvin glanced at Parker as he put his cup and plate in the sink along with Cara’s plate and Olivia’s nearly untouched food. He smiled as he watched Olivia lead Cody in circles by his collar, the dog panting but good humoredly following her around. Olivia was very quiet most of the time but when it cames to animals she lit up and talked a million miles a minute. Olivia had then led Cody over to Cara as they had discussed the possibility of things being more permanent with her staying the extra room and being around to watch the kids. She seemed hesitant at the idea but after Calvin’s urging seemed to warm up to it a little more the more thought she gave it. Calvin also didn’t want her to be alone. Charles, the man she said was her fiancé, seemed to be in and out of the picture from Calvin’s perspective and he thought the girl deserved some stability. He hoped that the familial atmosphere would help her too. Having kids made it feel like no matter what was going on, there was some routine going on at home. Every morning Calvin took Parker to school and would drop Olivia off at day care, now maybe he could leave Olivia Cara every once in a while. It would save money on the ridiculously expensive daycare that was convenient but a put a dent in his paychecks.

Cara was emotional as Calvin explained the reasons he wanted her to stay with them. He knew well that it wasn’t commonplace for her to feel wanted by others and Calvin was happy to do that for her. Olivia crawled over to her Cara and looked up at her with a smile that could anyone’s heart. Cara seemed thoughtful as she felt the ring around her neck. He noted the rather familiar band of her late husband. They had some discussion to do regarding Mark and Calvin was anxious to get ot it but not here. They could talk later, when his kids weren't around. He was sure Cara would get emotional and he didn't want to upset either one of them. ”Lonely?” she said the word as if she was far away, like she didn’t understand what the word meant and yet he knew that she knew it all too well. "It would be nice, not to be alone." she whispered and he could tell she was thinking about it, that she wasn’t about to turn down the offer outright and for that he was glad. He wanted to give a chance if she would "I'll only agree IF it's on a trail run, at least for now. Y..you may just change your mind, realize what a mistake you're making. Calvin, I'd try to be there for you and the kids either way I just...." She stopped when Olivia reached up and took Cara’s hand. It was as if the girl could sense Cara’s fear and for that Calvin was grateful. A tear fell from Cara’s unseeing eyes and Calvin pushed a napkin in her direction. "Thankyou Calvin. Y...you shouldn't be worrying about me, You SHOULD be worrying about seeing Skyla again she won't let you off the hook that easily for leaving." She said with a smile and Calvin nodded in agreement, he did need to see his goddaughter again.

“Well then I best be calling Charle’s sister shouldn’t I?” he teased and after Cara had told him the number he went back to his room to get dressed and call the woman. It was time for him to see Skyla and he thought it would be fun to take Olivia along with him. Parker would be fine her with Cara, it would be a good beginning to the trial run since Parker could mostly handle things on his own and just needed someone around for emergencies. When he was ready to go he gave Parker a hug, helped Olivia get dressed and ready to go, through she insisted on wearing mismatched shoes and Calvin relented, wanting to meet the woman and Skyla at a reasonable time. “Cara if you need any thing, please call me… Parker knows my number…” he told her and then carrying his daughter in his arms he closed the door, off to see his goddaughter, wondering if she would even remember him.

OOC: For Calvin, Evea and the kids. About a week after Brentanoes. BIC:

Calvin Booth

It had been a hectic afternoon. Calvin had been called him from work a few hours before because Olivia was running a fever and couldn’t be at the daycare if she was burning up like she was. He had picked Parker up from a friend’s house and then brought both kids home to spend the afternoon. Despite the warm spring day Parker was content to sit out on the balcony, drawing a bird that hopped along the railing, disappeared, but would then return a short while later. Meanwhile, Olivia would not allow Calvin to put her down. She was content to let him hold her, her head resting on his shoulder with her thumb in her mouth and a silk pink blanket grasped in her free hand. Every time Calvin put her down she would fuss and begin to cry and cough like she couldn’t breathe very well. He had called a doctor and that had told if she runs a fever of certain temperature for a certain amount of time only then should he bring her into the hospital. So he had been left to do housework, Cara was out with Lashell and so Cody wasn’t around to keep Olivia entertained while Calvin tried to get some work and housework done. He had managed to get parker to help him straighten up the living room from all their toys and also put the dishes away that he could reach but outside of that, the cop was pretty much on his own.

He had called Evea about an hour ago and told her that he would have to reschedule for that date. He explained that Olivia was sick and that he wouldn’t be able to get away from everything that had to be done. He told her he would call her the following day to reschedule. However, Parker had overheard the conversation and when Calvin hung up and set about folding laundry one handed Parker began to pester him about Evea and their date. Parker clearly like the woman and he was not about to let Calvin miss an evening with her. Parker told Calvin that he wanted Evea to come over for dinner. That he would even be happy to share his chicken nuggets with Evea if Calvin was worrying about what they would eat. Calvin laughed at that he finished loading the dishwasher with the dishes and told Parker that if he wanted he could call Evea back. So Calvin gave Parker the number and was amused as his son sat on the couch, his legs swinging as he looked seriously at the floor, biting his inner cheek as he seemed to seriously think about what he was going to say. Calvin stood at the counter, watching his son with amusement. Parker’s face lit up when Evea seemed to answer. “Evea, its Parker. You’re friends with my dad… he said you can come over and I’ll even share my chicken nuggets with you…” he paused as Evea said something Calvin couldn’t hear. The conversation went on for a moment longer before Parker said goodbye and hung up the phone. “She says she will come at… six…” said Parker, matter of factly and Calvin smiled and set about straightening the house once more if Evea was coming.

Calvin had made a quick meal of pasta, bread and salad. Parker didn’t seem to impressed so Calvin had made him nuggets and had heated up some soup for Olivia. He wanted to give her some thing easy that would not make her feel worse. Calvin glanced at the clock as he guided Parker on how to set the table. Occasionally he shifted Olivia from one shoulder to the other as each shoulder tired individually. As he set the salad on the table and opened a bottle of wine, which he had to explain to Parker was just for the adults, he heard a knock at the door. Parker was quick to run over but Calvin reminded him to grab the step stool and check who it was before he opened it. Once Parker had confirmed that it was indeed Evea he opened the door and cried with delight, hugging her before he even allowed her to enter the apartment. Calvin smiled at Evea over Olivia and gave her a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. “It’s good to see you…” he told her sincerely and that he looked down at Olivia who stared at Evea in silence, her thumb still in her mouth, her face flushed from the fever and her mother’s curls bouncing as Calvin readjusted her. “This is Olivia…” he told Evea and then with a smile added, “she’s not feeling quite herself…” he said almost apologetically as he led Evea into the kitchen while Parker began to tell Evea about the birds on the balcony.

Evea had been spending her day off painting losing herself in the images that came to mind as she tried to get them from the inside of her head to the canvas the fact that the phone had rang not once but twice only just breaking through calling her back to the here and now.

The first time the phone had rang it had been Calvin, the smile on her face fading as he explained why he had to cancel a date they had planned. The second time and far more surprisingly she had heard the voice of Parker though it had taken her a moment to realize even as he said his name.

“Evea, its Parker. You’re friends with my dad… he said you can come over and I’ll even share my chicken nuggets with you…”

She had smiled and thanked the boy for his kindness over the nuggets and the invite while inwardly hoping her going over would not course upset to the young sick girl she was still to meet. Pushing those thoughts aside she instead told Parker that she'd be around at their place at around six hoping that would be enough time for Calvin to not only put Olivia to bed if need be but also to make something light for dinner though she'd be glad to help if need be.

It was as she was traveling in her car to Calvin's house that worries once again filled her head. She had never really been part of a family, didn't really know how to act when with one or what to do. Kid's....were a mixed bag (though she did seem to get along with Parker quite well) and yet to meet Calvin's daughter...images of her own cursed her to pull over for a second.

Still, at six o'clock she walked upto the door of Calvin's place and knocked only to be greeted by a warm hug from small arms that she had now gotten used to.

"Hello Parker, thank you for the kind greeting."

The next thing her eyes landed on was Calvin and even as his arm snaked around her she felt her gaze matched with that of the little girl.

“It’s good to see you…” Somehow the words merged.

While she knew her daughter would be older then Olivia the little girls face somehow seemed to morph.

“This is Olivia… she’s not feeling quite herself…”

"I...I'm sorry to hear that." she managed to force out grateful when Parker seemed to come to her rescue telling her about a bird he was drawing.

While she listened her eyes remained on Olivia panic coming to her mind as the word SICK flashed before her eyes.

"Y..you know Calvin if Olivia has a fever I could give her a bath. I...it might bring her fever down. O...Or I can help with dinner or....or something."

Why was the girl getting to her, tears threatened to spill even as she told herself to get it together.

"I..I'd be happy to help, with anything even cooking Parker's nuggets."

It was always interesting the way your concerns changed from one child to the next. When he had first brought Parker and Teresa back from New York he had been super paranoid about anything and everything that could happen to his son. Over time though, he had stopped worrying that every little cold would lead to a hospital visit or scrape meant an infection; Teresa had teased him often about his borderline paranoia about Parker getting sick. But by the time Olivia had come along he had settled down quite a bit and so the fever the Olivia was running, though concerning, didn’t lead him to jump to conclusions and drive her to the emergency room; demanding to see a doctor that would diagnose and treat his daughter immediately. Instead he had given her a sippy cup of juice, had her take a child’s aspirin and given her a lukewarm bath. The one issue was that she refused to sleep and instead was content to lay her head on his shoulder and stare at her surroundings while he prepped the dinner and tried to straighten up the house. Fortunately she weighed next to nothing and carrying her wasn’t that difficult as he bustled around the kitchen and the living room so that the place was presentable when Evea arrived for dinner.

When Parker answered the door Calvin smiled to see how happy his son was to see the woman he had intended to take out on a date that night. He felt Olivia’s body stiffen slightly at the sight of Evea. His daughter was incredibly shy, almost the exact opposite of Parker who was already telling Evea all about the birds he’d been drawing that seemed to taunt him out on the balcony. Calvin greeted her the best he could and informed her that Olivia was not feeling well. He wanted to make sure she knew that Olivia wasn’t always this withdrawn and shy. Well, she was shy but she could usually be coaxed into opening up. Calvin wasn’t sure how things would go tonight and he hoped that Evea wouldn’t think she was doing some thing wrong. "I...I'm sorry to hear that." Evea remarked and Calvin could hear some thing like fear in her voice, but Calvin needed to turn off the burners so he didn’t have a moment to address it. Calvin was grateful that Parker continued to chatter about some of his drawings.

"Y..you know Calvin if Olivia has a fever I could give her a bath. I...it might bring her fever down. O...Or I can help with dinner or....or something." Evea offered and this time the emotion in her voice was unmistakable. He recalled then what she had told him about the daughter that she had lost so many years ago and Calvin was certain that it had something to do with that. He smiled at her, wanting her to feel at ease. While he appreciated the offer he had already given Olivia a bath, finished dinner, and put Parker’s nuggets in the oven. "I..I'd be happy to help, with anything even cooking Parker's nuggets." she said almost pleading and Calvin looked around, wondering what she could do. He walked over to the table and carefully put Olivia into her chair, Parker dutifully brought Olivia’s pink blanket over from the couch and he tucked it in around her as she began to whimper being out of her father’s arm. Calvin quickly handed her the cup of juice, hoping that it would keep her calm until he could sit down next to her and keep her from getting completely upset that her father still wasn’t carrying her. He motioned to Evea that she could grab the pasta off the stove if she wanted. Once things were set on the table he invited Evea to sit down on his right while he sat at the head of the table, Olivia on his left and Parker at the other end.

“I appreciate all the offers to help Evea…” he began as he scooped out noodles on each of their places and then he smiled shyly. “I should apologize for the rather rushed meal… I’m not the greatest cook…” he confessed as he scooped some nuggets onto Parker’s plate with some peas which made Parker’s face contort into a look of disapproval. He turned his attention back to Evea and took her hand. “Are you alright?” he asked, noting her almost pale features trembling hands. “Olivia is going to be fine…” he tried to reassure her, hoping that she would realize everything was okay.

It was strange the things that got to you, how quickly bad memories could strike. To this day she didn't know what had coursed the death of her child, if the unborn baby had been sick or she had been. If the baby was stillborn or something horrible had happened within the labor but now as she looked at Olivia's face, mixing with features she always thought her daughter would have the fears emerged.

She told Calvin that she was sorry to hear of the girls under the weather state, trying so hard to control her voice, tell herself that the little girl would be fine and that she wasn't her little P.J as she had nicknamed the growing fetus. Instead, she found herself tripping over words, searching almost begging for something to do, to take her mind off things.

Inwardly she was grateful for Parker pulling her into a tale about the birds he had been trying to draw but even that came to an end as the Booth family all seemed to gather around a table.

“I appreciate all the offers to help Evea…”

"It's no problem really" she stated setting the pasta down grateful for even that small task before finding there was nothing else left but to take her seat.

“I should apologize for the rather rushed meal… I’m not the greatest cook…”

"You have nothing to apologize for Calvin. It smells good and I'm sure if need be I can give you a few tips next time if need be. I find myself baking more than cooking but..." she trailed off feeling his hand suddenly covering her trembling one, something for the life of her she couldn't seem to control in that moment.

“Are you alright? Olivia is going to be fine…”

A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. "I just can't control myself at times. Silly I know"

Taking a breath she was grateful for Calvin's words, it was almost shocking how easily he had come to being able to read her. She then forced herself to look at Olivia again, force her mind to seeing Calvin's little girl instead of her own.

"THat's a really nice looking blanket, Olivia. I'm so sorry to hear that you aren't feeling well though." For a moment she couldn't think of anything else to say but biting her lip she went on. "Did you help your father to cook this meal? I'm sure with your help it shall be better then he says it is hmm?"

This wasn’t the way he had wanted Evea to meet Olivia. Originally, he had hoped to take her out to a nice restaurant tonight and maybe go for a walk in the spring evening air. It almost made him a little nervous to have her meet Olivia, not because he thought Evea wouldn’t be good with her but because he wasn’t ready for his children to get used to having another woman in their lives. He knew that it had been hard for them since Teresa had left and he had chosen to bring them back to Paris because he had felt that the space and the change in scenery would be better for them where their mother could no longer disappoint them. Calvin logically knew that people moved on, he knew that Teresa had always had a desire to wander and to experience new things and being tied down with her family had been difficult. They had numerous arguments about it behind closed doors. He had challenged her to leave if she was so unhappy and she had complained that she was unhappy because he was spending too much time at work, too much time working cases, and too much time with his partner Rebecca. He had tried to scale back but one of the most fulfilling aspects of Calvin’s life was being a cop and solving the crimes that plagued the city but they could never see eye to eye on the matter and she had ultimately called his bluff and left.

Calvin had learned a lot in the last two years since Teresa had disappeared; among them, how to cook meals that his kids would eat. Parker was a lover of chicken nuggets, hot dogs and macaroni. Olivia was a little less picky and would usually eat whatever Calvin was eating as long it was chopped up into small pieces. Tonight was spaghetti, when he had caved to Parker’s suggestion that Evea come over he had decided to throw together a quick pasta and salad that was far from the fancy meal he had planned to share with her. He also hadn’t anticipated that seeing Olivia so feverish and silent, not that she was exactly bubbly and outgoing but she was quick to smile and interact with Calvin and Parker especially. He set her in her high chair as he assured Evea that she would be fine and she would be, once her fever broke. It was nothing to be alarmed about, in fact it was nothing to even take her to the doctor for unless her fever lasted more than twenty four hours or it spiked above 102. Evea seemed to relax some but he could still see her eyeing Olivia with a great deal of concern as they set the table and sat down. He put Evea on his right, Olivia on his left and Parker next to her. He handed Parker his nuggets and wrapped Olivia in the pink blanket that had been a gift when she was born; they had brought her home in the hospital with it.

"I'm sorry" she whispered apologetically as they settled at the table and Calvin tried to give her a reassuring smile. "I just can't control myself at times. Silly I know" she said and Calvin shrugged. They had chatted about her own daughter that she had lost; perhaps it wasn’t the best idea for Calvin to have invited her; clearly she was distressed. Calvin began to dish out noodles and sauce, handing Olivia sippy cup of juice. "That's a really nice looking blanket, Olivia. I'm so sorry to hear that you aren't feeling well though." she said and Calvin noted the way Evea sounded almost uncertain what she was saying; he wanted to take her hand and assure her that it would be fine; that she didn’t need to overthink things so much. "Did you help your father to cook this meal? I'm sure with your help it shall be better then he says it is hmm?" Evea said with a little more confidence and Olivia looked up at Evea in silence, her blue eyes uncertain as she sucked on the corner of the blanket and ignore the cup of juice he had put on the highchair. Calvin wanted to tell Evea that Olivia was shy with everyone, that she was slow to warm up to people but once she did she was very sweet and could be rather clingy at times.

But before Calvin could say any thing, Olivia looked at him and then back at Evea, picked up her juice and extended to Evea as a piece offering of sorts it seemed. Calvin reached out and grabbed the juice and put it in front of Evea. “I think Olivia is saying she likes you…” Calvin mused with a smile, meeting Evea’s eyes. He could still feel that she seemed to be on edge and he wished there was more he could do to make her feel better. Parker was eating his nuggets quietly; content to silently contemplate the different shapes of the dinosaurs as he bit off their heads which were smothered in ketchup. He turned his attention then to Evea as the cup of juice was handed back to Olivia and she started to drink it. “I’m sorry that our date was cancelled… I hope we can reschedule…” he suggested as he took a bite of noodles and sauce, gazing hopefully at the woman that sat next to him. He liked her and he wanted to see where things go but kids or no kids he wanted to court her like she deserved to be courted and show her that he was indeed a gentleman; contrary to what their first meeting might have suggested to her.

Things had never been easy when it came to Evea's life. Family, had never been something she'd ever had or if she did it was always broken first with her father in the army, then Damon who well...she still to this day wasn't sure about that, Nisha...the family she had lost and now, now there was Calvin or at the very least the idea and Calvin with his children one of whom played so heavily on her heart.

She had already met Parker, gotten to know him a little and knew that they shared some interests but Olivia, the poor fevered little girl for a moment all she could do was struggle trying to think of something to say, to put them all at ease.

Evea could feel Calvin's hand holding her own and with it she drew strength finally forcing words out of her mouth and toward the little girl. Evea could see that the pink blanket meant something to Olivia and so commented on that, then remember how Calvin had been holding his daughter upon her arrival she wondered if maybe the girl had helped her father cook.

For a moment silence rained and even knowing the little girl to be shy, having been told, it felt like a hand was crushing her heart. What if the little girl didn't like her, would it all come to an end? It felt like a lifetime before Olivia made a move Calvin translating.

“I think Olivia is saying she likes you…”

A smile a mile widespread across her lips at this, a tear which she quickly wiped away coursing something to catch in her throat.

“I’m sorry that our date was cancelled… I hope we can reschedule…”

"Of course." she found herself saying almost as if on autopilot as if any other answer would not be allowed. "I think more of it as being rain checked instead of canceled. Just let me know when you are free."

It was then that she took a bite of her own food finally finding the butterflies that had been going crazy all night had FINALLY died down.

"I would like to get to know you all better if you'd all let me. Maybe even take Parker to a museum so he can see the remains of a real dinosaur and maybe Olivia would like to go to the zoo when she's feeling better. I understand you have a love for animals. Do you have one you like best?"